Crafting Bermuda’s National Electricity Sector Policy 2026 will require a holistic approach, the Minister of Home Affairs said last night.

Alexa Lightbourne said the promulgation of the new policy, which prioritises affordability, has so far received input from residents who have listed multiple ideas for inclusion.

“It is truly about how we can consider and find the right balance between the needs of the community, consider the technology that is evolving and consider how we can appropriately restore a better and more stronger energy sector for Bermuda,” she said.

She made the claim during a public consultation on the policy at St Paul AME Church on Victoria Street.

The minister said the island has one of the highest energy costs in the region, which she said is first felt by households, adding: “Seniors on fixed incomes feel it the hardest ... small businesses absorb it and pass part of it on ... hotels, restaurants, clinics and schools also end up carrying it.”

Ms Lightbourne told attendees that the importance of the policy rests on input from all stakeholders, adding: “Every segment of the economy has a stake in its outcome.”

“For about ten years we recognised that the policy was out of date, which is why having an updated policy was super important very early in my time as minister,” she added.

The Government plans to abandon its target for the island to produce 85 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2035 and instead expects to produce 93 per cent from fossil fuels in 2030.

Ms Lightbourne said: “The renewable targets that were set under the earlier framework, we have not been able to keep the pace up and prioritise.”

Adrian Dill, the Director of the Department of Energy, told attendees that work on the new policy started around March last year when it was recognised that the 2015 policy was outdated.

He said: “The Integrated Resource Plan would always reflect to the policy which wasn’t aligned with what the IRP was saying.”

Mr Dill said the “inconsistencies” were identified and the department formed a steering committee that included stakeholders from renewable companies, utilities and various government agencies to formulate plans for the crafting of the new policy.

He told attendees that the policy remains “technology-agnostic”, with affordability and equity being elevated as its core objectives.

It seeks to implement a new tariff system to ensure households dependent on the grid are not financially disadvantaged by price hikes influenced by the increase in renewable generation.

In response to a question from the floor, Mr Dill said the the department is in talks with government quangos and the Ministry of Public Works and Environment to designate areas for solar development.

The department is also in talks with the Bermuda Airports Authority on the subject, noting that the aviation body has property which is “very conducive for solar development”.

He said some quangos are looking for returns on investment and as such the discussions require broader discussions.

Another attendee urged the Government to consider global fuel prices in the crafting of the policy.

Mr Dill said: “The answer to it is really trying to decrease our dependency on oil, and this is where I keep going back to renewable energy because that is the answer.

“All that we’re trying to do here is to ensure that we have a policy which provides a pathway to renewables responsibly.”

• The deadline for public feedback on the energy policy is May 21 and residents can continue to submit proposals on the Government’s public engagement portal atforum.gov.bm/en/projects/nesp-2026